Wear and Tear
by MickMess
Summary: Ok, so it's a MarySue but I think it's tasteful. John Cena and Aubrey have been friends since they were children. Will they make it or will life's curveballs get in in the way? Overall this is a tame fic, but there are a couple cusses scattered in it.
1. Play Ball

Author: Mick

Title: Wear and Tear

Distribution: You take it, make sure I'm credited. If I'm not and I catch you there will be hell to pay

Characters: John Cena and Aubrey, an OC that I'm quite fond of and use often.

Note: Some of these chapters are kind of short, but some of them aren't. It all depended on how much I felt like writing at a given time. Hope you enjoy it.

* * *

It was a typical summer day in West Newbury, Massachusetts: the sun was shining, there was a slight breeze in the air, and children were playing throughout the neighborhood. The children were gathered in the backyard of one house, in particular. It was the house they gathered at every day, the moment they got "the call". It was the same backyard everyday, even when it was raining. They ranged in age, from five or six all the way up to thirteen. The small crowd of eleven was made up entirely of boys, which was the only way they'd have it. Girls didn't play sports with the boys, at least not with this particular group. They believed that girls belonged inside playing with Barbies, not out in the mud playing tackle football. After all, if they got hurt the boys would get into trouble and that would be the end of all their fun. Unfortunately for the boys, there was one girl that always wanted to play with them. At seven years old, she would follow her older brother by three years to the house and sit and watch the boys play. She loved to get dirty, she loved to play rough, and she hated Barbie. Unfortunately for her, all but one of the boys refused to let her do more than sit on the sidelines. This one boy was the second of five brothers. He liked the girl, he thought she was cool and that she could throw a better spiral than half of the boys that he played with everyday. However, he knew it was no use fighting with the ten others, especially the girl's brother. So he played football with his friends, he took over second base when they switched to baseball, and he was always an offensive player when it came time to pull out the soccer ball. All the while, he would glance over at the girl who looked so lonely sitting on the sidelines, wanting nothing more than to be one of the boys.

"Guys, hold on a minute! Hold up!" Ten-year-old John Cena made the "T" symbol with his hands and trapped the ratty old soccer ball between his feet, where it had been for most of the game.

"What's up John? We're in the middle of a game here, c'mon man!" All his friends yelled at him and tried to get the ball away, not in the mood to listen to whatever it was he had to say.

"Guys, why can't she play with us? It's just soccer. Look at the kid, she looks miserable sitting there all by herself!"

"John! My sister is NOT playing soccer, or any other sport, with us today or any other day. She's too damn small, she'll get hurt and go crying home to my mom!" John's best friend, and the girl's older brother, argued.

"C'mon Tommy, please?" Aubrey, Tommy's little sister, had heard John's argument and ran over to put in her two cents, "PLEASE let me play! I'm a good kicker! I promise!"

Aubrey began to pout, sticking out her lower lip and making her jaw tremble. It was a tactic she'd learned that worked on nearly everyone. Most of the guys rolled their eyes and shook their heads at the little girl with the curly brown hair and big hazel eyes. They knew her game and it didn't faze them one bit. John, who was already on her side, frowned at her face and put an arm around her, "C'mon guys, look at this face. Just let her play for a couple minutes."

From the back door of the house, John's mother yelled to the boys across the yard, "Cena-Clan! Time for dinner, come on in now!"

A chorus of groans and unhappy muttering rose up and all the boys went their separate ways, knowing that their parents would soon start calling for them as well. John lagged behind his brothers, giving Aubrey an apologetic look. She looked up at him through her bangs with big round eyes.

"I'm sorry, Kiddo. Maybe I can convince them tomorrow," he gave her an affectionate squeeze, "but I'll tell ya what. Come over after you eat dinner and me and you will shoot some hoops, ok?"

Aubrey's face brightened and she was quickly all smiles, "Really? Thanks John!"

John watched as Aubrey ran across the yard and raced down the block to her house as he walked up to the door of his own house. He had a soft spot for the little girl. She was the only sister in a house with two other boys, none of the girls on the block liked her, and the boys wouldn't let her play in any of their games. John had taken up calling her Rudolph, because she once told him that was exactly how she felt. He thought about this and shook his head as he kicked off his shoes and sauntered into the kitchen.

"So, what's for dinner mom?" John asked, trying to get a glimpse inside the big pot on the stove.

"Nothing, if you don't go wash up," she replied, blocking his view.

Sighing, John made his way into the bathroom where his older brother Steve, who was twelve and two years his senior, and youngest brother, Kevin, were washing up. He squeezed in between them and poured an exuberant amount of soap onto his hands before slapping them together under the faucet. Both of his brothers were being unnaturally quiet, and giving him none-too-happy looks in the mirror. John knew he was in for it the next day; his brothers hated that he stuck up for Aubrey all the time.

Once everyone was settled around the dinner table, and their father had said grace, all the boys began talking at once. Their parents shared an amused look from across the table and smiled. Dinnertime was never a quiet time in the Cena household; in fact, the only time it was ever quiet was when the boys were in bed, asleep.

"So how was sports time today?" Their father asked as he scooped some mashed potatoes into his plate.

A varied amount of responses arose, but only one was in complete agreement, "John tried to get Aubrey to play with us again today and wasted our soccer time!"

John lowered his head and pretended to have a large interest in the peas rolling around on his plate. Both his parents could see the blush creeping across his face, and knew he felt bad for annoying his brothers. They quickly changed the subject and John gave them a grateful look.

After dinner, John and his brothers were helping to wash the dishes when the doorbell rang. John smiled and turned to his mom, "That's Aubrey, I promised I'd shoot hoops with her. May I be excused?"

"Of course you can," his mother replied, taking over his position as dish dryer.

John grabbed his shoes from the back door and hopped his way to the front, pulling his shoes on in the process. He pulled the door open and waved to Aubrey, grabbing a basketball from the foyer before running outside to the hoop with her. The two stayed outside for hours, playing one on one, Horse, and a number of other made-up games. John's brothers watched from random windows, each one more and more upset that John could turn on them like that.

"Boys, instead of being angry with John for trying to be nice to someone, why don't you go and follow his lead? Y'know, one day when you're all older and John's got all the girlfriends you'll stop and wonder why you weren't as nice to the girls as he is," their mother teased.

"Eeeew, mom! Girls have cooties!" Yelled Kevin, who at six-years-old, was the youngest of the five.


	2. Boarding School

Time passed by quickly thanks to all the sports and all the games the boys played. They were a mischievous bunch, and John was normally the leader of the mayhem. He once convinced his brothers it would be fun to write curse words with gasoline on the driveway and light it up. After three successful attempts and having not been caught, they decided to take their game into the street, where their mother finally caught them and grounded them all for two days. Once that punishment was over, they were back to mischief and sports. Everyday Aubrey would watch and everyday all but John would ignore her. The two were close, and Aubrey considered him her best friend, even though he was ten and she was only seven.

As the children grew, they all became more tolerant of the girls, especially the older boys. Soon Aubrey was finally allowed to play football with the boys, and she proved she was a better short stop than her brother during baseball time. She even went head to head with John in soccer, and was the only one to ever steal the ball away from him. She was twelve by this time and he was fifteen. They were still as close as ever, so it killed her when John decided to apply to boarding school.

One summer afternoon between his sophomore and junior year of high school, sixteen-year-old John sat on his back porch with twelve-year-old Aubrey. In his left hand was the application he'd sent away for and in his right was a pen that would soon make or break his future. Aubrey was watching him fill in all the lines in complete dismay. Her now perfected pout was planted firmly on her face as she sat next to John, contemplating what life would be like without him.

"John, if you get into this school you won't even be here for my birthday. I'm going to be a teenager this year and you won't be with me! I won't have a best friend anymore! And who's going to show me around the high school and watch out for me in the halls between classes?" She was near hysterical.

"Aubrey calm down. I'm just filling out the application, we don't even know if I'll get into the school yet," John put his social security number down on the paper and moved on to the next question, "Besides, I'll still be around. And you can always call me."

Aubrey sighed, "It's not the same John. If you leave I'm not going to have anyone. None of the girls around here like me, and let's face it. The guys aren't too crazy about me either."

John rolled his eyes, "What are you talking about? They finally let you play with us and you still think they don't like you?"

"Um, John? Two of those boys are my brothers. I have a pretty good idea of what they think of me around here. I'm the annoying little sister who squirmed her way into the sports because John Cena has a soft spot for charity cases," she finger quoted the last part, mocking her older brothers.

John's head snapped up and he stared at her in disbelief, "I do NOT think you're a fucking charity case!"

"Well you may not think that but the rest of them do. C'mon, even you know your brothers aren't too fond of me. They never were. They used to watch us from the windows and try to think of ways to get me away from the house."

"Aubrey...just trust me, ok? Everything will work out. You'll never lose me."

But she did lose him. John got accepted into the boarding school and he moved out in the beginning of September, right before Aubrey's thirteenth birthday. She cried her eyes out for days, and when she returned to school everyone looked at her differently. Aubrey no longer had the comfort of having her best friend looking out for her and waiting for her after classes. She suddenly felt completely alone and lost, especially since she was now in high school. Some of the neighborhood boys would talk to her from time to time, but most of the girls hated her. She was friends with the guys they wanted to date, so they saw her as a threat.


	3. You're It

John was good about one thing: he kept in touch with Aubrey. Everyday when she'd walk in from school with her brothers, the phone would be ringing and she knew it was him. They would talk for an hour and then he'd have to go to a class so they'd hang up. She would call him at eight and they would talk until her mom yelled at her to get to sleep. The phone calls were a small comfort, but it was better than not hearing from John at all.

Every holiday and every summer John would come home from school and the moment he walked in the door, he would kiss his mother hello, say hi to his brothers and his father, and then walk over to Aubrey's house to see how she was doing. By the time he graduated, she was fifteen going on sixteen and was maturing into a beautiful young woman. He often found it hard to see the little girl he'd grown up with because she had changed so much. She was still the same Aubrey though, appearances aside. They would play basketball together, she'd kick his butt in soccer, and they'd spend all day and all evening outside. Once it was too dark to continue playing sports, they would sit on his back porch and talk for hours.

Boarding school had changed John. Before he'd left he was a somewhat quiet kid in school. He was into hip-hop, something others scoffed at him for, and he was often criticized for his taste in music, clothing, and the way he talked. In his new school he had found guys with his interests and had become more outspoken because of them. Aubrey liked John's newfound sense of confidence, and she also liked the fact that he had so many funny stories to tell her about the gallivanting he and his new friends did. She especially liked the story about the time he and his friend Steve ran around their dorms in nothing but wrestling boots, with jock straps on their faces.

"So did you guys get caught?" Aubrey asked between laughs.

"Nah, we never get caught. We're just two idiots who run around naked all night. Good thing it's an all guys dorm, or we'd be in trouble," John sighed in content and leaned back on the step behind him. Aubrey couldn't help noticing the now defined muscles on his arms flexing as he shifted around.

"You've been working out more," she commented, continuing to stare at his toned body. It was making her feel suddenly strange that she was taking notice of her best friend's body. Never in her life had she looked at him the way she was looking at him now.

"Yeah I have. Check this out!" John stood up and pulled his t-shirt off, tossing it at her as he started doing some poses.

Aubrey laughed out loud and clapped, but inside her head was spinning. Did she have a crush on John? No, it wasn't possible. He was like her brother. Although her brothers didn't have the body John had.

"You look great John. Boarding school's been good for you, huh?"

"It definitely has. I had the time of my life there. And I got into a great college because of it."

"College...I never thought I'd hear that word come out of your mouth. Hey, are you going to be here for my sweet sixteen?" She fluttered her eyelashes and gave him the patented Aubrey-Pout.

John smiled and put his shirt back on, "You bet. It's a date, lady."

"Actually, speaking of dates..."

John's expression suddenly turned serious, "You have a boyfriend?"

Aubrey blinked, "Where would you get a crazy idea like that? I was going to ask you to be my date for my party. Y'know, walk me into the hall and maybe dance with me. All the cheesy stuff."

The smile on John's face returned, "Why I'd love to, my dear. Who better than your best friend to be your date?"

Aubrey grinned as he took her hand in his much larger one and kissed it, before pulling her up and dragging her around the yard in a demented waltz. The two were laughing and stumbling over each other for a couple minutes, before John slapped Aubrey on the arm, yelling, "You're it!"

"John! We're too old for this!" Aubrey exclaimed, chasing after her friend as he darted in a zigzag across the grass.

"You're never too old for a good game of tag!" He yelled back, turning to run backwards so he could see where she was going. Aubrey laughed as he ran into a tree and fell to his knees.

"You ok, man?" She knelt down next to him to make sure he hadn't had the wind knocked out of him.

"I'm good. Since when has that tree been there?"

"Oh I don't know. Since we were kids, maybe? Oh, by the way, YOU'RE IT!"

Aubrey slapped John on the back and took off running. He jumped up and bolted after her, laughing his head off. Aubrey ducked out of his grip a few times, but finally fell pray to his old football fake-out and found herself "it" once again. She chased after John, as if they were still children, and when she got close enough, she pounced on his back, taking them both to the ground. John rolled over onto his back, so she was laying half on top of him. They smiled at each other and laughed a little as they caught their breath.

"God, I remember when we used to do that for hours," John said, looking up at the sky. The sun was almost finished setting and the light daylight blue had become a dark, almost black, blue broken up by hundreds of twinkling stars.

"No kidding. You used to be faster."

"Actually, you used to be slower. Are you on the track team now or something?"

"Me? Track? Please John, there's only two times I'll run: if there's a car running me down or if we're playing tag."

"John? Aubrey? Why don't you come on in now, we're going to have some ice cream and sing happy birthday to Kevin!" John's mother yelled from the back door.

The two smiled and got to their feet as they exchanged a look that said, "Just like old times."


	4. Missing Pieces

Aubrey's sweet sixteen came and went, and the next thing she knew, her best friend was away at college. Their phone calls became more sporadic and his visits home became shorter and further between. Her worst fears were coming true, and it was tearing a hole in her heart. During one particular phone call, John seemed to sense something was wrong with his friend.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine," Aubrey twirled the phone cord around her fingers, staring blankly at the wall, "Everything's fine, really."

"Bullshit. What's wrong Aubrey? Did someone hurt you?"

Aubrey bit her lip to keep from saying what was swimming in her head, that she had been hurt and it was by him. Instead she sighed, "John, it's nothing. I'm just tired. I've got two tests tomorrow, I have to do lighting and sound for a play for the next three days in a row, and everything's a mess at home."

"Why? What's wrong at home? You fighting with your parents?"

Aubrey forced a laugh, "Yeah, right. Tommy got his girlfriend pregnant. Now he wants to marry her and move out."

"WHAT?"

Now she laughed for real, "I'm playing dude. Everything's cool at home."

"Then tell me what's wrong."

"There's nothing to tell."

John sighed knowing that arguing with her wasn't worth the effort. If something was bothering Aubrey, and he knew it was, she'd come around when she was ready. That was the way she'd always been.

"John?" Her voice suddenly sounded distant.

"Yeah Rudolph?" He hoped that using his old baby name would get her to talk.

""When are you coming home? I miss you."

So THAT was it. Ever since he'd gone off to college, Aubrey had been depressed about never seeing him anymore. John looked at the calendar; it was May and he only had two weeks left before he would be finished with his second year of college, "I'll be home in about two weeks, for the summer. You're graduating in a month, right? You know I wouldn't miss that for the world."

"Good. I think I'd have to drag you back by your ear if you told me you weren't going to be there."

John smiled at the difference in her tone; she was happy again, "I hate to cut this short, but I have some finals to study for. I'll talk to you tomorrow sweet-pea."

The two said their goodbyes and hung up their extensions. John's roommate looked at him expectantly from his bunk bed, "Well?"

"Well what?" John gave his buddy an inquisitive look, honestly having no idea what he was getting at.

"Who was that? A girlfriend from back home?"

"Something like that," he pulled a textbook out from under a pile of dirty laundry on the floor and opened it on his desk.

"You got a little action going on back home and you're holding out on me?"

"Please man. You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Well I would if you'd talk to me. We've been roommates for almost two years and you never once told me anything about any of the girls you know back home."

"Did you ever think it's because I didn't talk to any of the girls back home? I mean, I talked to them and dated a few but they never meant enough to me to stay in touch."

"So what makes that one so different? I hear you on the phone with her every night, saying how much you miss her and shit. Don't lie to me man, I know that's not a sister or something on the other end."

"She may as well be," John smiled to himself, thinking of Aubrey, "We've known each other since we were kids, she's three years younger than me."

His roommate rolled his eyes, "You should fuck her and get it over with John. Do you both of you a favor."

"That's sick man."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

John thought for a moment, "Christmas."

"And how old was she?"

"Seventeen."

"And how did she look?"

"Same as always. Curly brown hair, big hazel eyes, naturally pretty. I don't think she's ever worn make-up in her life. She has these cute dimples in her cheeks when she smiles. She's a little taller too, but I still have a good six inches on her..." he drifted off, picturing how Aubrey had looked at Christmas. What he'd left out was that he spent much of Christmas dinner gawking at her now C-Cup breasts, which he'd referred to as mosquito bites when they were growing up.

"John, you do realize you're totally in lust with this girl, right? Go home, get laid, move on."

"Knock it off man, I could never. I'm telling you, she's like a sister to me and that's all there is to it," as if to prove the conversation was finished, John walked out of the room with his book so he could study.


	5. Curveball, Strike One

John returned home at the end of May, and Aubrey was the happiest person alive. Every waking moment, the two were together, as if trying to make up for all the time they'd lost while he was away at school. Graduation rolled around and on the "big day" Aubrey walked into the auditorium with John right by her side. She looked around at all her classmates' families and then back at John.

"I can't believe I'm finally getting out of here. Now I think I understand how you felt when you left."

He smiled, "I told you that you'd understand one day."

John leaned down and kissed her cheek before wishing her luck and going to sit down with her family. She turned on her heel and walked over to where her classmates were lining up for the procession. Everyone was decked out in ankle length blue gowns with caps that matched. Some people, including herself, were having trouble controlling their tassels, which refused to stay where they were supposed to. The next thing Aubrey knew, the procession had started and they were marching into the auditorium. She was nearly asleep through most of the ceremony, bored to tears by all the speeches they had to sit through. When it was finally time to climb up onto the stage and take her diploma, she was ready to go home and relax in front of the TV with John. The principal called her name and as she walked across the stage, shaking various hands, she heard John whistling and cheering for her. Smiling, she turned to the crowd, raised her arms in victory, and continued on her path back to her seat.

"I can't believe it. My little girl graduated high school."

"John, please. You sound like my parents."

"Well I can't help it. I'm so damn proud of you."

Aubrey and John were stretched out on the floor in the living room, her head on his legs, and a bowl of popcorn within reach of both of them. _Evil Dead_ was playing on the TV, but neither was paying much attention to it. They had spent much of the night talking, like they usually did, and the movie had been merely for background noise to fill the gaps.

"So, where did you say you were going to school?"

Aubrey shoved some popcorn into her mouth, "Columbia. In New York."

John smiled and faked tears of pride, "My little girl's going to Columbia!"

"Shut UP!" She pelted him in the face with several kernels from the bottom of the bowl.

"Hey now, play nice!"

"Why? You never did."

"Oh yeah? I never once tackled you during football."

"Liar! You dislocated two of my fingers!"

"It was an accident!"

"Yeah sure, that's what they all say."

"Christ, can you believe that was...ten years ago? My god, I'm 21 now."

"And I'm seventeen, fresh out of high school. Where did the time go?"

"To Mars. Marvin told me," John gave Aubrey a lopsided grin and tossed some popcorn into his mouth.

"You're so weird," she reached up and pulled his baseball cap down over his eyes.

"Hey!" He fixed his hat and poked her stomach, "Play nice."

She gave him the infamous pout, "But I don't want to!"

"Tough. Play nice or suffer the consequences."

"Consequences, huh? What are you going to do, tell my mommy on me?"

John smirked and grabbed her stomach with his hand, wiggling his fingers around so she was paralyzed with laughter. Aubrey squirmed around trying to escape the tickle-beating, but to no avail.

"John! Knock it off!" She yelled, laughing hysterically, "I give, I give!"

"Alright. You have to apologize though."

"Psht. Fat chance, buddy," she quickly sat up and scooted back a few inches so she was no longer within arm's reach.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Suddenly, John dove forward and grabbed her arms, pushing her backwards onto the floor in the process. She found herself pinned on the floor under him, their faces dangerously close and their abdomens crushed together.

"C'mon John, let me go!" She squirmed some more.

"You have to apologize first!"

"No!"

"I'll lick you!"

"Ew, gross! Never!"

"Alright, you asked for it," John leaned forward and licked her face, making sure to leave a sloppy saliva trail in his tongue's wake.

"JOHN THAT'S GROSS!" Aubrey kicked her feet, trying not to laugh as he licked her other cheek as well.

"Apologize and I'll stop!"

"Fine, I'm sorry!"

He smirked, still pinning her down. He moved so he was straddling her waist and had her hands pinned above her head, "I don't believe you."

"John, c'mon! Pwease?" She gave him big puppy eyes and stuck out her bottom lip.

"Nope. I want a real apology."

"I don't even know what I did!"

"You pulled my hat over my eyes."

Aubrey rolled her eyes in response and continued to kick her legs, "John I swear to god, when I get up you're going to pay for this."

"And what if I don't let you up?"

"You have to piss sometime."

"I can do that right here."

"WHAT? Ew, John! Get off me, now!"

John laughed but continued to hold his ground, "Apologize or I'm going to lick you again."

Before Aubrey could get a reply out, John leaned forward and licked her face again, this time coming dangerously close to her mouth. She bit her tongue to keep from saying anything, and turned her head away so his tongue wound up in her ear by mistake.

"Ugh, GROSS! You licked my ear!"

With a smirk on his face, John replied, "Damn, first time I ever heard a girl complain about that."

"Well this isn't exactly the love connection, you idiot. You've got me pinned down and you're licking my face like a dog."

John was quiet for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face. Aubrey was becoming increasingly nervous, wondering if her love connection comment had taken things a step too far. As she was about to reply, John looked down at her, an odd expression on his face. One she hadn't ever seen before. He leaned down again, whispering, "Well maybe this is more to your liking then."

Aubrey bit her lip to keep from gasping as she felt his tongue slowly trailing down her neck. Her eyes went wide and her heart dropped down into her stomach before lunging up into her throat. He had stopped licking her, his tongue replaced by two lips on the nape of her neck, sucking lightly on the tender flesh. Her eyes drifted closed for a moment, as she enjoyed the tingles that were now racing through her veins. All too quickly he pulled away, sitting up again so he was looking down at her. She looked up at him, confusion filling her eyes.

"John?"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"John."

"I mean, it was wrong-"

"JOHN."

He blinked, as if just noticing she was still beneath him, "Yeah?"

"Let me up."

He stood up, and pulled her to her feet, jumping back a bit when they bumped into each other. Aubrey looked up into his eyes, wondering what had just happened. A few moments ago they had been best friends watching a movie together. Now they were best friends wondering if maybe there was something more to the friendship than they thought. John looked worried, wondering if he'd taken things a step too far. He was gazing into her eyes, biting his bottom lip a little, his hands trembling slightly at his sides. Aubrey continued to gaze into his eyes for a moment longer, trying to regain control of her pounding heart. She took a deep breath and placed her hands on his face. Immediately, his hands jumped up and grabbed hers, a questioning look on his face. She nodded her head ever so slightly and stood on tiptoe, pulling his head down so she could reach him. Slowly, their faces came closer together. Slowly, their lips met, barely pressing together. His hands moved from hers down to her waist, wrapping around her and resting on the small of her back as he pulled her in closer. She slid her hands to the back of his head, trying to get his lips closer to hers. He bent his neck down, deepening the kiss, pulling her tightly against him. Slowly, lips spread apart and tongues moved tentatively toward one another, not sure if this was the right thing to do. They hesitantly came together, exploring each other's mouths, their heads tilting slightly to accommodate the kiss they were sharing. It lasted only a few seconds, but when they pulled apart, both of them were out of breath. John leaned his forehead on Aubrey's, rubbing his nose lightly against hers. Both of them still had their eyes closed, afraid that if they opened them, they'd wake up in bed from a dream.

John was the one to break the silence with a whispered, "Whoa."

Aubrey slowly let her eyes creep open, "Definitely."

The two parted slightly, so they could look into each other's eyes. Their bodies were trembling from nerves and adrenaline, neither one knowing quite what to say just yet.

"So um...Yeah," Aubrey bit her lip and wondered what should happen next.

"I, uh. I need to sit down."

John backed up to the couch, pulling Aubrey down onto his lap as he collapsed onto the old, familiar piece of furniture. They continued to sit in silence for some time, neither one at all sure of what to say or how to act. After several painfully long minutes of complete silence, Aubrey sighed and glanced at the clock.

"It's almost four in the morning. I think it's time to head home."

John's eye's widened at the thought of Aubrey leaving, "I'll walk you home."

Aubrey nodded and got to her feet. They walked to the front door together, pulled their shoes on, and left the house hand in hand. It took all of a minute to get the few doors down to Aubrey's house, so John walked up to the door with her, and turned her to face him. He put his hands on her hips and pulled her in close, looking deep into her eyes.

"Good night."

"Yeah...night."

They stood together awkwardly for a moment, deciding whether it was safe to have a repeat of what had gone on in his living room. No longer able to stand the tension, John leaned down and kissed his best friend quickly and jumped off the porch. He looked back over at her once he got to the sidewalk and gave her a nod of the head. Completely confused, Aubrey walked into the house and climbed the stairs to her room.


	6. Normality

The next morning, Aubrey woke up to her cell phone ringing and vibrating on her dresser. She snatched it up and opened it without checking the call ID.

"You walk me up, this better be important."

"It's me. Take a shower and meet me on my porch in half an hour."

The line went dead before she could reply, so Aubrey hung up and crawled out of bed. She dragged herself into the shower and then wandered over to John's house. She found him on the back porch, tossing a tennis ball against the side of the house. Visions from the night before crawled through her mind, but she pushed them away.

"Hey Cena."

As if startled, John jumped and snapped around to face her, "Oh. Hi."

"So what's up? You sounded pretty urgent on the phone."

"It's about last night," John walked over to her looking nervous, "Aubrey..."

She looked up at him, "John last night...Look, I can't deny how I felt. I liked that kiss. It's something I've always wondered about, but..."

He cocked an eyebrow, "But? But we're friends? It was weird Aubrey. I knew I was kissing you and it was just..."

"Awkward? Yeah, I know," she smirked at him, "John I love you. I always have and I always will. Hell, maybe someday we'll kiss again and fall madly in love."

John smiled, feeling completely relieved, "So everything's cool? Nothing's changed?"

"Not a bit."

The friends shared a relieved smile and hugged tightly. Deep down, they'd both enjoyed that kiss, but both knew it wasn't the right time to start something. Aubrey would be leaving for Columbia in the fall, and John would be going back to school as well.

Two years later, Aubrey was in her sophomore year at Columbia. She couldn't have been happier, either. She'd made a handful of friends, and her bond with John was as strong as ever. He was just about finished with college and had started a career in body building.

"So I was thinking of moving to California."

"You WHAT? John that's 3,000 miles away!"

"I know sweetie, but if I want this body building thing to take off, that's where I have to go. It's not like we'll never see each other again!"

Aubrey sighed and bit her lip, "Well if it's what you want to do, you know I've got your back. I only have two conditions."

"Which are?"

"Stay out of trouble and I want to spend spring break out there with you."

John smiled, "It's a deal, sister-girl!"

After hanging up with her best friend, Aubrey left her dorm room and headed to class. She was more terrified than ever of losing her best friend.


	7. Slider, Strike Two

Once the school year was over, both John and Aubrey returned home for a short time. John had found an apartment in California, so he, Aubrey, and two of his brothers took a road trip to move him in. When they arrived, everything went well. They made quick work of unpacking his stuff and taking a tour of the town. Aubrey was 20 now, John 24. The four went to dinner and then John's brothers decided to check out some clubs while John and Aubrey opted to spend the night in.

"I can't believe you're living in California," Aubrey said with a sigh. She sat on the couch with her legs curled under her.

"It's crazy," John plopped down next to her, resting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her in close.

"John I am so scared of losing you," Aubrey whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Aw, baby..." he pulled back so he could look her in the eye, "You'll NEVER lose me. EVER."

John's mind flashed back to the night of Aubrey's graduation, two years earlier. He'd been thinking about it a lot, even more so now that they were in California. The feelings he'd had for her that night were back ten-fold and it took everything he had not to kiss her.

"John?" Her questioning eyes made him realize he'd been staring at her in silence for a few moments, "John are you ok?"

"Aubrey do you remember your grad night?" He asked.

She nodded, a slight blush creeping over her face. He looked into her eyes again and brushed his knuckles softly down her cheek, "I want to kiss you again."

There was a nervous glint in her eyes as she looked up at him, softly biting her lip. She knew how he felt because the same emotions were coursing through her. Slowly, their lips pressed together, just as they had two years earlier. John pulled her in close, letting his hands roam across her back.

When they pulled apart a minute later, Aubrey had tears in her eyes. Before he could ask, she stood up and put a hand over her face, "John I can't do this. Not now, not with you across the country. I can't. I just can't."

"Aubrey I'm sorry. I-"

Aubrey ran out of the room and locked herself in the bathroom. She'd gone twenty years without ever feeling they way she felt about John at that moment. It killed her to know they'd never make it, not under these conditions.


	8. Change of Plans

John stayed in California for quite some time, and Aubrey moved to New York after her third year at Columbia. Nothing changed between the two. They still talked on the phone every night, snail-mailed one another, and talked online. The big changed occurred when John decided to become a professional wrestler.

"You WHAT?"

"I'm going to OVW! I got a contract! Can you believe it Aubrey? ME, in the WWE!"

"I...wow, John. Congrats."

"...you're not happy, are you?"

"John, of course I'm happy for you. I'm just being a little selfish at the moment and thinking about how I'll never see you again."

"Yes you will baby. I swear. I'm moving all my stuff back to West Newbury."

"Uh, gee John. Did you forget that I'm in NEW YORK?"

There was a pause in the conversation.

"Hey Aubrey?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I could move in with you, maybe?"

So it was settled. At 25 years old, John shipped his life to New York and then moved to Louisville, Kentucky, home of OVW. He was there for a few months before he got called up to the WWE. When he did, he made a slow impact on the company, but an impact nonetheless. Aubrey enjoyed watching John on TV. She enjoyed having him come home to her as well. Even though they both wanted something more than friendship, they were afraid to start anything because of his new career. Aubrey decided to do something she'd only dreamed of to rectify the situation.


	9. Home Run

"Yo, yo, yo, yo! Let's make a little noise up in this joint!"

An arena full of people erupted into cheers and boos. John stood in the middle of the legendary squared-circle, in the middle of the hallowed ground of Madison Square Garden. His jean shorts were held up by a leather belt, his upper body was covered by a Rangers jersey, and his Knicks hate was on backwards. Around his neck was a masterlock on a huge chain, and on his fingers were two rings; one read "Word", and the other, "Life". He was 27 now, and Aubrey was 24. He went on with the freestyle he'd written the night before, and then called out his opponent. He wasn't expecting what came next.

From behind the _Smackdown!_ curtain, a person appeared, but it wasn't Booker T. It was-

"AUBREY? Oh my god! Ladies and Gentlemen, this is my best friend in the entire world right here!"

Aubrey climbed into the ring and hugged John.

"What are you doing here Aubrey?" He was in a genuine state of shock.

Aubrey smiled, "Guess who just got hired as a part of the set design crew!"

John's jaw dropped and his eyes widened, "No way!"

"Yes way."

Suddenly Booker T's music hit, so Aubrey jumped out of the ring. Once the house show's main event was underway, Aubrey escaped to the back, where she waited for John. She didn't have to wait long.

"Why didn't you tell me?" John ran to his best friend and scooped her up into his arms, squeezing her tightly.

"Duh, I wanted it to be a surprise, bonehead!"

"Well you sure shocked the shit out of me!"

Aubrey smiled, "You know what this means, right?"

John gave her a curious look, "What's it mean?"

"This," Aubrey pulled John in close and kissed him. John pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, crushing her against him.

When they finally parted, John whispered, "Marry me."

Aubrey smiled, "Whenever you want."

And so they did. On the 3rd of November 2005, Aubrey and John got married in West Newbury, Massachusetts John was 28 and Aubrey was 25. It had been the one thing they'd always wanted, but were too blind to realize or too scared to do. They were best friends since childhood and nothing would ever keep them apart.


End file.
